Test Drive: Nissan Fairlady Z, The 1000 km Drive

It started with a spontaneous idea and soon I was cruising in my Mazda 6 heading north with my friend, just to go view the Nismo 350Z. The journey was long and tiring, spanning over 5 states. Luckily, I was travelling in the Mazda 6 which provides some comfort and I decided to sleep a night before viewing the car. 10 am next morning, I found myself waiting at the meeting place anxiously for the seller to appear with the 350Z. I waited for more than 30 minutes and finally the owner texted me but I could not see a 350Z. Then a guy waved at me from a Toyota sports sedan and asked me to follow him. After 5 minutes, I drove into a housing area and I saw the 350Z right in front of me. The moment of truth is upon me. I parked my car and took out a list that I prepared. Yes, I prepared a list for all the mods or problem that I find and make a record of it.

So I started looking around from the rear for the titanium exhaust. I could not see much because of how low the car is but I manage to have an idea how the muffler is. The rear boot's absorber has already given away which is expected given the age of the car. Next I went over to the engine bay to take a look and found the titanium intake pipe and ARC Super Induction Box. It looks great but the engine bay is really dirty. Could use a good wash. I could see the coilovers are Tein but wihout a pillow ball mount. The carbon hood is a good addition but without proper latch, I worried it might fly off. The rims are 2 piece 19" Volks Racing rims but I am not sure of the model and size of tires used.
The biggest issue I have with the car is actually the interior. Most of the silver plastics are scratched or faded but again expected.

Stock Engine

Arc Super Induction Box

Now that I am done inspecting, it is time for an important question. Can I test drive ? It is really important to have a test because engine and transmission condition cannot be known by just looking at it. Since I drove all the way here for 500 km just to see the car, if he does not let me drive it, I would have hurt him real bad. Luckily not only did he let me test the car, he did not even get into the car when I tested it. Being the gentleman that I am, I did not drive it out on the open road. Instead I just drove around the housing area a few times. Before driving, I stepped on the clutch while gear is in neutral and find out that the clutch is quite hard. So, when I reversed the car, I tried not to rev and to my surprise I could drive easily. Once the gear is in, it does not feel hard at all. However, I realized the original Japanese screen has cracked and could not access the reverse camera.

Manual Interior with Nismo 300 km/h Meter

Nismo Semi Bucket

During the test, I loved the semi bucket seat. When I hit the accelerator, the sound from exhaust could be heard but it was not that loud. I could also feel the great torque from the engine and coupled with the exhaust note, I thought I was revving high but when I looked at the meter, it was only 3,000 rpm. The car is definitely in good condition and powerful. There is a sense of familiarity but at the same time something new. I definitely was grinning but I had to hide it from the seller. After all that, I returned the keys to the seller and told him I will contact him later.

Carbon Hood